Failed Rebellion
by boyuesblink
Summary: The bastard, Sima Zhao, had cut him down, and left him lying in a puddle of his own regrets.


Title: Failed Rebellion  
Summary: The bastard, Sima Zhao, had cut him down, and left him lying in a puddle of his own regrets.  
Word Count: 856  
Rating: K+  
Pairings: If you squint there could be Jiang Wei/Zhong Hui.  
Fic Warning: Character Death, Angst?  
Disclaimers: Sima Zhao, Zhong Hui, Jiang Wei, The Kingdom of Shu, and Liu Shan all belong to Tecmo Koei.

Note: I'm not a fan of this one, I feel somethings...missing. I'm not sure what though.

* * *

The bastard, Sima Zhao, had cut him down, and left him lying in a puddle of his own regrets. It was funny how many there were when it was all said and done. He never thought he'd be one to regret. Jiang Wei, for example, was now left defenseless, out fighting still somewhere, Boyue had trusted him, and it was something they'd both soon regret. Pointless, the fighting going on outside the base's walls. It was all pointless, because he was going to die. The clouds drifted across the sky, and he waited and watched, perhaps with less dignity and more impatience than he should have. Dying wasn't in his strategies, it wasn't a part of this battle, and yet...

* * *

"Lord Zhong Hui?" A tinge of pain that he tried to pass off as his wound ached through him. "Are you alright?"

_Idiot, moron_, what had he ever seen in this man. His eyes drifted beside him, glaring sideways at Jiang Wei. _Stupid, naive_, it must have been the fact Zhuge Liang had taught him. _Not well, apparently. _It was unfortunate that Zhong Hui hadn't had more time to influence him.

"Of course," He said, trying to be as dignified as he could, while lying, in pain, in the dirt. "Merely a scratch."

He dug his elbows into the ground, fingers raking into a fist, bracing for his first attempt at getting up since he'd been knocked down. If death hadn't taken him yet, maybe there was a still chance to prolong it. Maybe he could accomplish all of those things he'd regret leaving undone. Jiang Wei anxiously fluttered about him, trying to find some way, _any way_ to help. Zhong Hui didn't assist in calming him down, instead focused solely on forcing himself upward.

He gasped, once he was in a sitting position, the pain was white-hot and shooting through every part of him, it angered him. How could he have let this happen? He was too close to have let something this ridiculous stop him. His emotion and stubborn resolve were enough to propel him into a standing position, with Jiang Wei's careful assistance; however it wasn't nearly enough to keep him there.

"My lord!" He waivered, stumbled, and fell. Jiang Wei grasped him and pulled him into a stabilizing hug, trying to support the full weight of Zhong Hui the best he could. Zhong Hui found himself staring at the sky again, not quite as calm as he had been before. Enraged his hands dug into Jiang Wei's arms.

"That bastard. I can't die. There's still so much left..."

* * *

Jiang Wei had watched everyone he cared about die around him. In his futile attempts to protect the rest of his allies, he'd been rejected, told he was foolish. And then, Zhong Hui came to him, took him with open arms and promised to help him save those he loved. Perhaps, foolishly, he found himself too proud, and ambitious. He quickly took to Zhong Hui; found that he loved him as well.

He should have known. He should have seen it coming, or at very least felt some kind of warning inside of himself.

* * *

He held Zhong Hui closer to him, trying to mask his tears, and the overwhelming emotion he knew far too well. He already knew Zhong Hui would laugh in his face if he had seen him struggling to remain calm. Slowly the two of them slid carefully to the ground, Jiang Wei positioning himself to support Zhong Hui, so that he was not fully lying upon the ground.

"I should have come sooner," He said.

"And ruin the plan I worked so hard on?" Zhong Hui shook his head. "Although...I guess I failed to hold up my end..."

"Liu Shan escaped, so your plan was a resounding failure."

"Damn it."

He smiled briefly, almost forgetting the gravity of the situation. Zhong Hui laughed, in a way that was less amused, and more irritated. "You know what that means then, don't you?"

"There's no going back," Jiang Wei shrugged. "I knew that early on."

"Sima Zhao will have you killed."

"What have I left to fight for?" He met Zhong Hui's gaze, finding the other man with a slight confusion in his eyes. Perhaps the words had just been spoken out of the sudden sorrow he was feeling, or perhaps there really was nothing left for him to do and deep down he'd known it for a while. "The people of Shu, I'm not needed anymore. They've surrendered; the kingdom Lord Liu Bei and Prime Minister built...It's gone. I've been holding onto something that isn't there."

Zhong Hui frowned, and sighed lightly. "You were my most valuable asset. We could have built a world all our own, now look at us."

* * *

Jiang Wei stood, staring into the faces of his friends, of the lord he betrayed in favor of Zhong Hui. They all seemed almost apologetic, like there was something they missed that could have prevented this.

"I'm sorry," Liu Shan said. "Perhaps, in another life, we'll meet again. Perhaps then the world will be at peace and our stories different."


End file.
